Thermo-alarm.



CHARLES R. LUMLEY, 0F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

' THERMO-ALARM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 0a. 3,1916.

Application filed June 22, 1915. Serial No. 35,566.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Crnxnnns R. LUMLEY, a citizen of the Umted States, and a resident of Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, haveinvented certain new and useful. Improvements 1n Thermo- Alarms, of whlch the following is a spec1fication.

My invention is an improvement in thermo-alarms, and the inventlon has for 1ts ob-- ject to provide a device of the character specified, adapted for use as a fire alarm, and for any purpose, wherein it is desired to indicate the temperature of a place or places to a distant station, and wherein the arrangement is such that an open electrical circuit will be closed when the temperature of the place in which the alarm is used is raised or lowered beyond a predetermined point. A

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a section on the line 11 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a front view,

and Fig. 3 is a rear view, showing the ar-,

rangement of the circuits.

The present embodiment of the invention comprises an open metallic casing comprising a base 1 and a marginal flange 2 integral with the base, and it will be noticed that one end of the casing is enlarged laterally as indicated at 3, and the said end is rounded as indicated at 4. A plate 5 is arranged transversely of the casing near the free edge of the flange 2, the said plate having a marginal flange 6 which fits the inner surface of the flange, 2, and is secured thereto in any suitable manner. A button 7 of insulating material, as for instance, vulcanized rubber, is arranged in an opening in the plate, near the end remote from the enlargement 3, and the said button has marginal flanges at ,the opposite faces of the plate 5. This button is secured to the plate by means of rivets 8 or the like, the said rivets being passed through one of the flanges and through the plate 5. It will be noted from an inspection of Fig. 1, that one of the flanges is of greater diameter than the other,

and this flange is arranged at the inner face of the plate and is secured thereto. A headed pin or bolt 9 is arranged within the button, and extending through the opening in the plate 5, and said bolt or pin is a binding post, and is insulated from the plate 5 by the button 7 The head of the bolt 1s 1nward, and nuts 10 are threaded onto the bolt at the outer face of the plate 5. A block 11 of insulating materiahas for instance, vulcan1zed rubber, is arranged on' the inner face of the plate 5 near the rounded end of the casing, and the said block is held tothe plate by means of screws 12. Theplate 5 'is provided with a struck up lug 13, at the top of the block, and extending inwardly above the upper edge of the block, and an eye bolt 14 is passed upward through an opening in the lug, and is engaged by a thumb nut 15 above the lug. The eye of the bolt is below the lug, and it will be evident that by turning the thumb nut the bolt may be raised or lowered. with the eye of the bolt, and at the other end the wire has a loop or eye which engages a pin 17 held in alined bearings in a lug 18 struck up from the plate 5. The lug extends inwardly, and the free end is slotted or recessed as indicated at 19 between the bearings, and the Wire 16 engages the pin at the notch or recess 19. By means'of the thumb nut 15 the tension of the wire 16 may be varied as conditions require. A coil spring 20 is held between the head of the bolt 9 and the adjacent flange of the button 7, and the said spring coils around the, bolt. The spring has an extension 21 at its outer end, which is offset inwardly from the coil, and the upper end of the extension is provided with a laterally extending lug 22.

Contact levers 23 and 24 are mounted on the block 11, each lever being pivoted to the block by a screw 25, and the levers are arranged on opposite sides of the eye bolt, the wire 16, and the extensions 21. Each of the levers 23 and 24 has at its free end a laterally extending lug 26 and 27, respectively, and the said lugs extend through openings 28 in the base 1 of the casing. Each lever has also an eccentric extension or cam 28 and 29, respectively, and the said cams or extensions extend inwardly from the pivotal connection, and are adapted to make contact in a manner to be presently described.

Lugs 30 are struck up from the plate 5 at each end of the block 11, and these lugs extend inwardly alongside-the ends of the block and are secured thereto by screws 31.

'A wire 16 is connected at one end The base is provided with openings 32 for by the block 11, and each screw has nuts 34 at the outer face of the plate 5, for permitting the wires to be connected to the respective screws or binding posts 25.

In Fig. 3 is shown the arrangement of the circuits. A wire 35 is connected with the binding post 9, being clamped between the nuts 10, and a suitable source 36 of electricity, a battery in the present instance, is interposed in the length of the said wire. Beyond the battery the wire branches into branches 37 and 38, and each branch is connected with one of the binding posts 25, the

wire 37 with the post 25 of the lever 23, while the wire 38 is connected with the post 25 of the lever 24. A rhcostat 39 is interposed in the length of each branch 37 and 38, and a signal 40, as for instance, an electrical bell, is interposed in the length of the wire 38. Thus an open circuit is provided, which may be closed by connecting the binding post 9 with either post 25. When the circuit is so closed, the alarm 40 will be actuated to indicate a rise or fall of temperature beyond a predetermined point.

It will be noted from an inspection of Figs. 1 and 2, that the tension wire 16 does not extend straight between the eye bolt 14 and the pin 17. This pin is arranged out of the direct line drawn through the eye bolt and the binding post 9, and the integral connection 41 between the coil 20 and the extension 21 provides a bearing against which the wire bears in its change of direction.

It will be evident that when the wire 16 is contracted, the extension 21 will be swung to the right of Fig. 2, to cause the lug 22 thereof to contact with the cam or extension 29 of the lever 24, while when the tension wire is relaxed or extended, the coil spring 20 will throw the lug 22 of the extension into contact with the cam 28 of the lever 23. When the tension wire is subjected to a degree of cold below a predetermined point, the wire will contract, and will throw the extension 21 toward the lever 24. On the contrary, when the tension wire is heated,

and expands, the spring 20 will throw the extension 21 toward the lever 23. The tension of the tension wire may be adjusted to the proper point by the thumb nut 15. The coil spring 20 acts to move the lug 22 of the extension 21 toward the lever 23, but this movement is restrained bythe action of the tension wire 16.

In operation, the tension wire 16 is adjusted to the proper point desired, such that it will hold the lug 22 of the extension 21 between the cams 28 and 29. The levers may be adjusted to bring the cams nearer to or farther away from the lever 22, by swinging the levers on their pivotal connection. When the temperature in the room or wherever the device is placed falls below a predetermined point, the wire 16 will be contracted and will swing the extension 21 in a direction to finally cause the lug 22 to engage with the cam 29 of the lever 24, and an alarm will be sounded at the central station. lVhen the temperature of the room exceeds a predetermined height, the wire 16 will be relaxed and the spring 20 will throw the extension toward the lever 23, until the lug 22 finally contacts with the cam 28 of the said lever, closing the circuit, and sounding the alarm. In the first instance the current passes from the battery by way of the wire 35 and the wire 37 to the binding post 25 of the lever 24, and by way of the extension 21 and the binding post 9 and the wire 35 to battery. In the last named instance the current passes from battery by way of the wires 35 to 38, the lever 23 and by way of the cam 28, the lug 22, the extension 21 and the binding post 9 to the wire 35, returning to battery. When it is desired to have the alarm sounded at a higher temperature, that is, at a lesser degree of cold, the lever 24 is swung on its pivotal connection to approach the cam 29 toward the extension 21. WVhen it is desired to have the alarm sound at a lower temperature, that is with a lesser degree of heat, the lever 23 is adjusted to approach its extension toward the plug 22.

It will be evident that the two contact mechanisms may be adjusted independently of each other, and the alarm may be made to act at any desired degree of temperature, either high or low, and independent of the action of the other contact mechanism. A thermometer 42 is arranged on the front of the casing, that is, on the outer face of the base 1, and the device is placed with the base 1 outward. Access may be had to the thumb nut 15 without necessitating the removal of the casing from its position, and by means of the lugs 26 and 27 the levers 23 and 24 may be adjusted. It will be noted from an inspection of Fig. 1 that the nuts 34 of each binding post 25 are insulated from the plate 5 by means of insulating washers 43.

Suitable scales may be provided in connection with the lugs 26 and 27, to indicate the position in which these lugs should be placed in order to provide for contact at predetermined temperatures. In practice, the contact surfaces of the lug 22 on the extension 21, and of the cams 28 and 29 will be of platinum or other suitable material.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character specified, a linear tensioned member confined at its ends and susceptible to contraction and ex pansion by changes of temperature, a resilient member in contact with the linear tensioned member and normally deflecting the same from a straight line, said resilient member having an extension and constituting one terminal of an electric alarm circuit,

and other members at opposite sides of the said extension and constituting terminals of the said electric alarm circuit.

2. In a device of the character specified, a linear tensioned member confined at its ends and susceptible to contraction and expansion by changes of temperature, means for varying the linear tension of the said member, a resilient member in contact with the linear tensioned members and normally deflecting the same from a straight line, said resilient member having an extension and constituting one terminal of an electric alarm circuit, and other members at opposite sides of the said extension and constituting terminals of the said electric alarm circuit.

3. In a device of the character specified, a linear tensioned member confined at its ends and susceptible to contraction and expansion by changes of temperature, a resilient member in contact with the linear tensioned member and normally deflecting the same from a straight line, said resilient member having an extension and constituting one terminal of an electric alarm circuit, and other members at opposite sides of the said extension and constituting terminals of the said electric alarm circuit, and means for changing the position of the members at the sides of the extension of the resilient memher.

4. In a device of the character specified, a linear tensioned member confined at its ends and susceptible to contraction and expansion by changes of temperature, a coil spring in contact with the linear tensioned member and normally deflecting the same from a straight line, said coil spring having an extension forming one terminal of an electric alarm circuit, levers pivotally mounted at opposite sides of the extension of the coil spring and formed with cam portions, said levers constituting other terminals of the electric alarm circuit, and means for securing the levers in the adjusted position.

5. A device of the character specified, comprising a casing, a plate extending transversely of the casing, a binding post connected with the plate intermediate the ends thereof and insulated from the plate, a block of insulating material arranged transversely of the plate near one end thereof, said plate having a lug extending inwardly above the block and in vertical alinement with the binding post, an eye bolt passing through the lug, a thumb nut engaging the bolt Copies of this patent may be obtained for five above the lug for adjusting the bolt, the plate having an inwardly extending lug at the opposite end and out of alinement with the first named lug and the binding post, a tension wire connected at one end to the last named lug and at the other to the bolt, a coil spring connected at one end with the binding post and having an extension extending upwardly toward the eye bolt, said extension being connected to the spring by an integral portion approximately perpendicular to the plate, and the tension wire bearing against the said integral portion and acting against the expansion of the coil spring, a binding post at each end of the block, and insulated from the plate, and a contact lever pivoted to each binding post and having a lateral lug at its free end extending outside of the casing to permit the lever to be adjusted, each lever having a curved extension at the inner side thereof for engagement by the extension of the coil spring when the said extension is moved in opposite directions under the influence of the tension wire and the coil spring.

6. A device of the character specified, comprising a supporting plate, a binding post connected with the plate intermediate the ends thereof and insulated from the plate, a block of insulating material secured to the plate near one end, said plate having lugs extending laterally from the plate, one of the lugs being above the block, and intermediate the ends thereof, said lug and binding post being in alinement longitudinally of the plate, an eye bolt passing through the first named lug, a nut engaging the'bolt on the opposite side of the lug from the binding post, a tension wire connected at one end with the eye bolt and at the other end with the last named lug, a coil spring connected at its inner end with the binding post and having at its outer end an extension extending toward the eye bolt, the tension wire engaging the connection between the extension and the spring and normally acting to move the extension in the opposite direction from which it is moved by the expansion of the spring, contact members pivoted to the block at each side of the free end of the extension and adapted to contact therewith when the extension is moved in opposite directions by the wire and the spring, said contact members being adjustable toward and from the extension, and a binding post connected with each contact member.

CHARLES R. LUMLEY.

cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

